I'm in the same boat as many of the posters here... I have low expectations but am enough of a homer to be excited anyways. So I guess you can say I am pessimistic. This is a tactic I use to root for teams that continually miss the playoffs, never contend, and are a punchline for much of the rest of the league. I convince myself that we will suck, then anything that good that happens is legitimately exciting.

Here's what I'm excited for:

Watching responsible defending

The continued maturation of Andrea (all star breakout!??!)

The integration of Lowry into our guard rotation

Brief glimpses of brilliance from Big Val.

Here's what I am anticipating with positive vibes, but overly excited about:

Davis still getting lost to the point that he pulls at least one complete 360 on court each game

BC looking stoic in the tunnel while we're getting badly blown out

Klieza catching fire for 2 games and then more or less disappearing for the rest of the season

Any Aaron Gray sighting

Watching a lottery pick go to another team.

I am really hoping for some nice ball movement on O, and that our guys (Fields, Ross, Klieza, etc) can knock down some open shots. I'm hoping for some hussle rebounds and second chance points thanks to Amir and Val. I'm hoping Bargs and Val can figure out how to defend together, because I think the potential for really solid post D is high, and I'm hoping to see Lowry and Bargs emerge as legit team leaders.

However... I am not holding my breath because we really havent got any hard evidence (save 11 good Bargs games last season and some nice youtube highlights of Big Val) that anything I'm excited about/hoping for is actually coming. We're leaning on leaders that have not really led before, we are positioned for another PG controversy, we are 1 injury away from being a really, really bad team, and we've got 2 recent lotto picks in key roles that havent shown the progression necessary for them to contribe consistently. And really, how can we be that optimistic about a team that hasn't sniffed the playoffs in the last 4 seasons?

Reason for pessimism? Well, to the core of the team that could barely win 20 games the last two years they've added: a rookie big man, a rookie swingman, a backup two guard and a PG who apparently is going to be battling for the starting job with Calderon. Not exactly awe-inspiring stuff.

I'm excited for basketball to start and I can't wait for opening night (I will be at the ACC for the first home game) but I have serious concerns about this roster, especially on the perimeter. And, of course, they still don't have a single elite player and, as I've been repeating ad nauseum for years now, they can't win until they find a star player. So, while I'm excited, the realist in me is pretty cynical.

I'm in the same boat as many of the posters here... I have low expectations but am enough of a homer to be excited anyways. So I guess you can say I am pessimistic. This is a tactic I use to root for teams that continually miss the playoffs, never contend, and are a punchline for much of the rest of the league. I convince myself that we will suck, then anything that good that happens is legitimately exciting.

Here's what I'm excited for:

Watching responsible defending

The continued maturation of Andrea (all star breakout!??!)

The integration of Lowry into our guard rotation

Brief glimpses of brilliance from Big Val.

Here's what I am anticipating with positive vibes, but overly excited about:

Davis still getting lost to the point that he pulls at least one complete 360 on court each game

BC looking stoic in the tunnel while we're getting badly blown out

Klieza catching fire for 2 games and then more or less disappearing for the rest of the season

Any Aaron Gray sighting

Watching a lottery pick go to another team.

I am really hoping for some nice ball movement on O, and that our guys (Fields, Ross, Klieza, etc) can knock down some open shots. I'm hoping for some hussle rebounds and second chance points thanks to Amir and Val. I'm hoping Bargs and Val can figure out how to defend together, because I think the potential for really solid post D is high, and I'm hoping to see Lowry and Bargs emerge as legit team leaders.

However... I am not holding my breath because we really havent got any hard evidence (save 11 good Bargs games last season and some nice youtube highlights of Big Val) that anything I'm excited about/hoping for is actually coming. We're leaning on leaders that have not really led before, we are positioned for another PG controversy, we are 1 injury away from being a really, really bad team, and we've got 2 recent lotto picks in key roles that havent shown the progression necessary for them to contribe consistently. And really, how can we be that optimistic about a team that hasn't sniffed the playoffs in the last 4 seasons?

I love that haha!

I think that no one is optimistic really...we just think we are going to be better than last year, which is still bad to mediocre. I think in order for someone to say we are "making progress" would be to watch us improve over the course of a substantial amount of time, which we've never done

I would love to see who you'd compare as Anthony Mason....oh you're rich man.

Look I'm excited, but that's bonker bro. Oakley would smack the air out of your lungs if you looked at him crooked, JV ain't that guy man, I prey he'll be a beast but let's be careful with the comparisons.

I would love to see who you'd compare as Anthony Mason....oh you're rich man.

Look I'm excited, but that's bonker bro. Oakley would smack the air out of your lungs if you looked at him crooked, JV ain't that guy man, I prey he'll be a beast but let's be careful with the comparisons.

What's hard to believe about comparing the only players in team history who are willing to mix it up and be physical down low? Our franchise has always had soft interior players (from Camby to Bosh to Bargnani with dozens in between). Having a player willing to be that guy down low is something we've sorely missed since Oakley.

Is JV the exact same person and player as Oakley? No, but that isn't what I said. Perhaps you should think about the context before spouting off. I never suggested that JV would be smacking people for looking at them, I only said that he'd be the physical big man we've lacked for a decade.

...Our franchise has always had soft interior players...Having a player willing to be that guy down low is something we've sorely missed since Oakley.....

Actually, Davis (Antonio), Willis, Montrose, Zan Tabak and even Oliver Miller weren't afraid to mix it up down low. but I get your point. I am excited to watch JV both play now and develop over the next couple of years. Soooo glad he got a chance to play in the Olympics against the American team so that he doesn't get to the NBA and go "Holy S**t!"

Actually, Davis (Antonio), Willis, Montrose, Zan Tabak and even Oliver Miller weren't afraid to mix it up down low. but I get your point. I am excited to watch JV both play now and develop over the next couple of years. Soooo glad he got a chance to play in the Olympics against the American team so that he doesn't get to the NBA and go "Holy S**t!"

What's hard to believe about comparing the only players in team history who are willing to mix it up and be physical down low? Our franchise has always had soft interior players (from Camby to Bosh to Bargnani with dozens in between). Having a player willing to be that guy down low is something we've sorely missed since Oakley.

Is JV the exact same person and player as Oakley? No, but that isn't what I said. Perhaps you should think about the context before spouting off. I never suggested that JV would be smacking people for looking at them, I only said that he'd be the physical big man we've lacked for a decade.

Ok listen, I'm going to man up and apologize if I offended you, but comparing a tall white guy from Lithuania to Oakley is a strectch in my mind. Also, when you talk about a guy who is willing to mix it up, I'd prefer to see that guy in the NBA before making statements like that. How can we draw comparisons to someone when they haven't even played a game in the NBA yet? Please don't tell me to look at all the Euro footage, because by that notion then AK-47 was the Suge Knight of the league.

Again, we're all fans and I'm sorry for making a joke out of what you said (seriously). Ultimately, I hope you're right that way we (fans) win!

I'm excited to watch a full season of nba basketball. A full season of the raptors. The first season in 4 where playoffs were even in sight. A legitimately deep roster no matter how you slice it for the first time since 07.
Filled seats. Exposure. Meaningful basketball all season and possibly into the postseason.

We haven't had this much hope or this much of a shot ( on paper ) to reach the playoffs since bosh.

I'm excited to watch a full season of nba basketball. A full season of the raptors. The first season in 4 where playoffs were even in sight. A legitimately deep roster no matter how you slice it for the first time since 07.
Filled seats. Exposure. Meaningful basketball all season and possibly into the postseason.

We haven't had this much hope or this much of a shot ( on paper ) to reach the playoffs since bosh.

I'm excited to watch a full season of nba basketball. A full season of the raptors. The first season in 4 where playoffs were even in sight. A legitimately deep roster no matter how you slice it for the first time since 07.
Filled seats. Exposure. Meaningful basketball all season and possibly into the postseason.

We haven't had this much hope or this much of a shot ( on paper ) to reach the playoffs since bosh.

Defensive regression? They've added a defensive anchor in JV, who may take long to develop but its a step in the right direction. Plus the addition of arguably the best defensive PG in the league in Lowry, who can put plenty of pressure on the oppositions point of attack, as well as keep his man out of the paint. Landry Fields can defend just as good, if not better than JJ, minus the blocked shots. And Terrence Ross is surprisingly very aggressive and willing on the defensive end. I don't know exactly how they will fare defensively this season, but I think it's safe to say that they havent regressed in that part of the game.

Rookies simply are not very impactful. In fact, they are usually inefficient and struggle on defense. If they do become impactful, they are either surefire stars or in a small role. Jonas will be a prime example of a rookie's struggles. It would be a miracle if he isn't fouling at high Amir-like rates in his first season. He still really needs to hit the gym, in fact he should actually take an entire offseason just to focus on gain strength. But his national team wiil b!tch at him, even though it would benefit them (and the Raptors) long-term...and he barely played anyway.

Lowry's presence is negated by Bargnani being healthy and the loss of JJ... and replacing him with Fields. Fields isn't any nearly as good as a defender as JJ is. More importantly, with Bargnani back, we'd NEED JJ's excellent help defense.

Long term, we should be better. But THIS season, we will likely regress defensively, while becoming better offensively.

Bargs: an incredibly skilled big who is defensively unreliable and a historically poor rebounder
DeRozan: a hard-working kid with big ups who can't really shoot from range and can't get his shot off against above-average defenders
Amir: a great 7th or 8th guy
JV: a rookie center, who, even if he pans out, will need 3-5 years to develop. Haven't seen too much from the kid yet.
Weak at the 3.
An above average (10-15th ranked) point guard and trade bait backup

This lineup scares no one.

Other reasons for dismay:

An improved but still very average bench
A GM who clearly doesn't have a plan. His pursuit of Nash showed as much.
No all-star talent since CB4 and none in the works. Bargs playing well for 13 games does not count. JV is a question mark.
A team/city that's held in poor regard by other players
Other teams in our division improving and/or having deep pockets
A fan base that overestimates its chances/talent, underestimates the talent on other teams, and always hopes for next year

Bargs: an incredibly skilled big who is defensively unreliable and a historically poor rebounder
DeRozan: a hard-working kid with big ups who can't really shoot from range and can't get his shot off against above-average defenders
Amir: a great 7th or 8th guy
JV: a rookie center, who, even if he pans out, will need 3-5 years to develop. Haven't seen too much from the kid yet.
Weak at the 3.
An above average (10-15th ranked) point guard and trade bait backup

This lineup scares no one.

Other reasons for dismay:

An improved but still very average bench
A GM who clearly doesn't have a plan. His pursuit of Nash showed as much.
No all-star talent since CB4 and none in the works. Bargs playing well for 13 games does not count. JV is a question mark.
A team/city that's held in poor regard by other players
Other teams in our division improving and/or having deep pockets
A fan base that overestimates its chances/talent, underestimates the talent on other teams, and always hopes for next year

Why is it only our rookie big from overseas needs 3-5 years to develop? Yet Anthony Davis is supposed to come in and Rock the house, Kidd- gilchrist, lillard etc.

Developing and contributing are used interchangeably and JV in my estimation will contribute big time this season. It may take him 3-5 seasons to reach his max potential/ development but putting it your way sounds like he'll be an araujo until the magic year 3,4 or 5.